Detachable calk for horseshoes



(No Model.)

M. J. L. TOWLER.

DETAGHABLE GALK FOR HORSESHOES. No. 487,038. Patented Nov. 29, 1892.

m: I ;1 mm

l rli shoe provided with my improved removable UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAXIMILIAN J. L. TOWLER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DETACHABLE CALK FOR HORSESHOES.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,038, dated November 29, 1892.

Application filed April 22, 1892. SerialNo. 430.218. (N m el.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAXIMILIAN J. L. Tow- LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Removable Oalks for Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention refers to the peculiar construction and arrangement of horseshoes, whereby the calks on a horseshoe may be readily replaced when worn out with new calks withouttaking off the'shoe.

My invention especially refers to calks for.

use in winter, where it is especially desirable to have ready means athand to prevent horses from slipping.

In the present state of the art removable horseshoe-calks are well known; but certain features of my improvement will be found new and have been especially designed to overcome certain important defects which are urged against the constructions now found in the market and which have always been in the way of a more extended use of these de vices. One great objection which I have found is that the calks are always getting loose and often become lost. This is easily explained when it is considered that some horses have a habit of striking their feet very hard on the ground, either when going fast or when restless in standing, and when the ground is hard or frozen the calks will in time get loose with any ordinary fastening. If the calk itself screws into the shoe,it is liable to displacement by getting turned; but the worst feature is that if such ealks are worn down the stump remaining in the socket can hardly be taken out without taking off the shoe. Another objection against all calks in use now is that they soon become dull and new calks have to be put inif the condition of, the ground re quire it. My invention is intended to overcome these objections; and to this end myinvention consists in certain features of construction which I will now proceed to describe in connection with the annexed drawings, in which-e Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a horsecalks. Fig. 2 is a section online 0 a, Fig. -1, the section being also shown reversed from the natural position of the shoe Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the calks shown in the same position as in Fig. 2, without being fastened to the shoe, however. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the calks, looking at its underside.

My removable calks, of which I use three on each shoe, are all alike and interchangeable and are struck up of sheet metal between dies'. I preferably use a blank out from steel plate to the required size to form the whole calk in one piece by being shaped between suitable dies. As the process ofshaping such articles in this-manner is well known in the art, I do not deem it necessary to describe it here in detail, as it does not form any part of my invention. The peculiar form, however, in which such calks are shaped comprises the essence of my invention, and to this end each calk consists of a base portion a, which forms the bearing of the calk against the under side of the shoe. This base portion has the peculiar feature of being slightly curved, (or double inclined,) so that the side intended to come in contact with the shoe is convex, as shown in Fig. 3, where the dotted line is intended to represent the bearing-face of the shoe. Suitable holes I) for two screws are formed in this base portion.

At the front edge the calk is formed with a standing flange c, which is also preferably curved to conform more or less'to the outline of the shoe, and this flangcis continued around the ends to form thetapering wing-fianges (Z. At or near the middle the flange c is made with a deep bend or corrugation e, which also preferably extends into the base portion. Screw-holes are tapped into the shoes to receive the screws 1'", by'means of which the calks are secured to the shoes.

In practice, the parts being constructed and arranged as shown and described, they operate as follows: In the first instance it will be seen that the calks have a degree of elasticity or spring which accomplishes the important object of lessening the liability of the calks becoming loose. In this respect the bond 6 acts as a spring to permit the screws to take up the curvature of the base-plate to act in the well-known manner of a spring-washer against the heads of the screws to prevent them from becoming loose. The bend 9, how.-

ever, has another important function, in that it imparts to the flange c the necessary stiffness to withstand the severe usage to which it is necessarily subjected. It secures the important advantage of having the flange c uniformly thin, so that its wearingaway will make no difierence in the sharpness of the calk. The end wings (1 also contribute to stilfen the flange c, and in connection with the bend e givetheedge of the calk a desirable irregularity, which prevents the horse from slipping'evenunder the most unfavorable conditions. By tapering the end wings down to the base-plate they form corners at the extreme ends, which are made still more prominent by giving the end wings an inward and downward slant,as shown in the drawings. The screws are made, preferably, more or less fiat-headed, whereby they are not liable to wear away, and thus still afford a good hold for the screw-driverwhen the calks have to be renewed when worn down. If desired, the screw-heads may be countersunk, although I find it hardly necessary;

-VVhat I claim as my invention is-- 1. The combination,ina horseshoe, of a detachable calk integrally form ed with a curved bearing portion or base and a standing flange formed on the outer edge thereof with a central bend to form a spring for the curved base, substantially as described.

2. The combination,ina horseshoe,ot' a detachable calk formed of sheet metal with a curved bearing portion or base having means for securing it to the shoes,astanding flange extending around the outer edge and ends of the base, and a bend in the middle of the flange to form a spring for the base, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a horseshoe, of three detachable interchangeable calks formed of spring sheet metal, each provided with a curved base, a standing flange formed thereon and centrally corrugated, and two screws securing the calk to the shoe, substantially as described.

' '4. As a new.article'of' manufacture, a detachable horseshoe-call: struck up of sheetsteel and consisting of a curved base-section provided with apertures for fastening, a standing flange on the front edge, connected by tapering side wings to the ends, and. a corrugation in the middle of said flange, substantially as described. v

In testimony whereof I aliix my signatu re in presence of two witnesses.

MAXIMILIAN J. L. TOWLER.

Witnesses:

N. L. LINDOP, M. B. ODoGHERrY. 

